


The Men Who Go Into Battle

by lamerezouille



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, warning for violence of the medieval battle kind (not graphic at all)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-24 11:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1604015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamerezouille/pseuds/lamerezouille
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The Northern Plains is a strip of land that lies to the north of Camelot. It was where Gorlois fought when Vivienne had the affair with Uther.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Men Who Go Into Battle

The Northern Plains were an unforgivable place on the best of days, located so far north that the only thing that could grow was half-frozen grass, struggling to peek out from under the ever-present sheet of snow. During war, the Northern Plains might very well be akin to hell.

There were not a lot of people here, but that didn’t mean they didn’t deserve to be protected. Gorlois had come here with as many men he dared take away from their wives and children, and a delegation with a few druids—and even a Dragonlord!—had met them half-way to lend them a strong hand, but the enemy force was still more numerous, and even with the best strategy in the realm, nothing could keep this battle from being as gruelling as could be.

They fought from sunrise to sunset, trying to keep the enemies away from the few cities in the area, and they won, they did, but every day there was a new army against them, fresh men not as tired as they all became. After only a day, the snow had taken a pink colour from all the blood shed there, and this tinge of red seemed unending to Gorlois.

At night he strategized and evaluated the losses and helped to bandage those who could be bandaged, and before sinking to sleep, he sometimes managed a thought for Vivienne, and for the number of days since he’d last seen her.

On the fourth day of the second week, Gorlois lost his most loyal lieutenant. On the first day of the third week, the enemies didn’t stop for the night anymore. On the second day of the third week, Gorlois thought of letting a sword run through him, just so that it could _stop_. On the third day of the third week, it was suddenly over.

The Dragonlord came to him and, with a warm hand on his shoulder, said, ‘You’ll see your home again, soon, Gorlois, and the tender arms of your wife. Don’t think about what you’ve lost, but of what you’ll gain.’ Gorlois knew the Dragonlord didn’t have a wife waiting for him. He also knew two of his dragonlings had died. Gorlois didn’t know if his mouth was still able to do it, but he attempted a smile.

Seeing the high walls of Camelot again felt like being reborn. Camelot was his home and the most beautiful city on earth, and Gorlois didn’t think he could ever forget it, but while faced with death and blood and pain for so long, he almost had.

Vivienne was as beautiful as she’d ever been, too, and Gorlois slept in her arms for thirty hours before doing anything else. He’d hurt so much without her. He loved her and hated the man he was away from her, killing soldiers and breathing blood.

When she told him of her pregnancy, he was too tired to think, too elated to worry: all he could do was smile and kiss her, and promise her never to go to the Northern Plains again.


End file.
